Hidden Secrets
by sweet-as-salt
Summary: Tony and Ziva don't show up for work one morning and set off a chain reaction; some secrets just can't be kept forever...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_**DING!**_

Gibbs stepped out of the elevator, and walked briskly into the bullpen; once there, he was forced to stop. Only McGee was there, typing furiously as always, eyes focused only on the screen. Noticing his boss now present, he looked up, first at Gibbs, then around the bullpen, expecting someone, Tony, to be cringing and preparing for a slap. There was no one waiting, no one cringing; only he was there.

"Uh, there a case, boss?" McGee started, hoping to cover up the fact that half the team was missing. Gibbs only shook his head, moving towards his desk and sitting down behind it; McGee waiting patiently for more information: when he got none, he shook his head and refocused on the computer screen once more.

"McGee," Gibbs finally said, more than an hour later, a scowl beginning to form, "Where are DiNozzo and David?"

"I don't know, boss, I've called both of their cells, no answer, getting answer phone each time for both." McGee sighed, looking at his cell phone once more, as if expecting it to magically ring.

"For both of them? Have you tried tracking their phones?" Gibbs asked, scowl fully formed as he realised that his agents were now off the radar, _together._

"Yeah, and, uh, no. I figured if they were together, they wouldn't want to be-"

"Wouldn't want to be what, McGee? Disturbed, interrupted, _found_? They might not even be together, and I want to know if they are or not, _right now_." Gibbs growled, and McGee paled slightly, nodded quickly, his fingers flying over the keyboard so fast they almost blurred.

"Okay, boss, I've almost got it... well, they're together... uh, by, uh, a..."

"A what, McGee, spit it out!"

"They're outside a high school." McGee finally said, and Gibbs mildly baffled expression told McGee he had no more clue than he did.

"Agent Gibbs?" A new voice suddenly said, causing both McGee and Gibb's head to snap up, to see a young girl, about fifteen standing at the edge of the bullpen, staring straight at him with serious dark brown eyes, her lighter brown hair falling loosely in waves down her back. An agent hovered behind her, and kept glancing at her warily, almost as if he were afraid of her, this average teenager, dressed in jeans and a shirt, her light khaki jacket hung over her arm.

"Agent Gibbs, right?" She repeated, her eyes now focused solely on him, "I need your help, Agent Gibbs; I was told you were the one to give it."

"Who are you?" Gibbs asked quietly, having gained some of his composure at this forward girl, walking toward her slowly. He saw her smile slightly; the edge of her lips quirking upward in what would be a joker's grin.

"My name is Mahala, MahalaDiNozzo-David." McGee reckoned his face was even more confused than before.

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**A/N: Hi, okay, this is my first NCIS fic, so I hope you like it; there's more if you want it, you just have to press that little button and tell me ~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Now in the Conference Room, Gibbs watched carefully as McGee handed the girl, Mahala, a glass of water. She thanked him quietly, sipping some water before placing it on the desk, and looking back at Gibbs. He said nothing as she stared, still trying to process this. The girl _did_ sort of look like his two agents; Ziva's dark eyes, Tony's hair colouring, along with a combination of their skin tone and natural hair.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a swab form your mouth, Miss DiNozzo-David, just to check-"

"Just to check if I'm telling the truth, right? Yeah, I know; go ahead." She said, and for the first time, Gibbs noticed the slight Israeli inflection to her words; not as noticeable as Ziva's, but it was there alright. McGee gave her a hesitant smile, taking the swab quickly and excusing himself, going straight to Abby's lab. Leaving Gibbs alone with the possible daughter of Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David, to do... what?

"You know, while we're waiting for Aunt Abby to confirm my story, I-"

"Aunt Abby?" Gibbs interrupted quietly, eyes focused sharply on the girl. She blushed, her hand snapping up to cover her mouth.

"I, uh, haven't met her, don't worry. It's just that my mom and dad talks about her, all of you, loads, and because you're family, they wanted me to eventually become family as well. It only made sense for them to be named appropriately, right?" Gibbs nodded, unable to say anything: he'd always known that the team was a massive, dysfunctional, not-so-obvious, family, and if anyone else was to be introduced, the titles were appropriate... just not like this, not in this way.

Before either of them could break the awkward silence slowly building up around them, Gibb's mobile started to ring. Never taking his eyes off the girl, he unhooked his phone and answered it. There was a quiet pulsating beat in the background, and Abby was already talking a mile-a-minute to him, a constant chatter which he quickly cut off, telling his 'favourite' that he would be down to her lab as quickly as possible. As he got up to leave, he flicked a finger towards himself, indicating the girl, Mahala should follow. She did so obediently, quickly following in Gibbs's wake, silent as she did so. _Just like her mother... _Gibbs thought with a slight smirk, entering the elevator, sensing, rather than hearing, the girl step beside her. _If Ziva is her mother..._

"Gibbs! Gibbs, Gibbs, where is she?" Abby squealed as soon as she heard the ding, bouncing out into the hall.

"Where is who, Abs?" Gibbs asked, playing dumb, slowly pushing the excitable forensic scientist back into her lab, keeping Mahala out of sight. The teen got the message, and hovered behind him, keeping out of the green-eyed scientist's sight.

"Mahala DiNozzo-David, the child of Tony and Ziva; she is their child, by the way, DNA came back positive, it's a girl." She sighed at the end, and then turned back to her computer bank, quickly showing Gibbs the green lights flashing by the pictures of Mahala, Tony and Ziva.

"Told you so, Agent Gibbs; now, can you start trying to find my parents?" The biting edge to the girl's words made Gibbs start slightly, and Abby actually jumped into the air, squeaking slightly, before turning to see Mahala, as she had now moved from behind Gibbs, her dark eyes now challenging his light ones. Abby gasped, taking in the girl for the first time, before rushing to hug her. Mahala, much like her parents, seemed taken aback by the  
sudden contact, but eventually wrapped her arms around Abby, burying her head into the woman's neck, obviously trying to maintain some composure, despite all that was happening.

She finally looked up, over Abby's shoulder, and for the first time, Gibbs saw a young girl look at him.

"Agent Gibbs, will you please find my parents now, _please_?" She had repeated the plea twice, and Gibbs felt the tug to hold her like Abby, like Abby was, he should say, as Abby had now stepped back, staring wide-eyed between the two of them.

"Tony and Ziva are _missing_?" She almost shrieked, now turning fully to Gibbs; getting no reaction but a shrug of the shoulders, Abby heaved a great sigh of frustration before launching into a rant.

"I guess that actually makes sense, because why else would Tony and Ziva's daughter suddenly show up now, after six-odd years of being here: she emigrated here with Ziva, if you're wondering, Gibbs, and it had to be some sort of reason like that, I mean, come on, if Tony and Ziva kept her a secret for all this time, why suddenly admit to her existence now? Unless, of course, they were in danger," She suddenly stormed up to Gibbs, getting right in his face, her face pained and desperate, "Are they in danger, Gibbs?"

He said nothing in response, only kissed her forehead, and navigated her back to the computer bank. As he did so, Gibbs noticed not only Abby's look of fear and concern in relation to his response, but also Mahala's: she was genuinely scared for her parents, wherever they were.

"Abby, McGee traced Ziva and Tony's cell phones to a high school; can you please show me which one? Abby, cell phone trace, now." Gibbs repeated firmly, seeing his forensic scientist spacing out as she contemplated her friends' fate. Abby jerked out of her reverie, nodding quickly and bringing up McGee's search. She coughed slightly as she tried to read out the name, already feeling a lump in her throat, assuming the worst for her best friends. Looking toward Gibbs, still trying to clear the lump, she caught the eye of the light-haired teen staring resolutely at her, waiting for answers about her parents.

Parents. This young girl loved and wanted her parents, and it was up to Abby to not only bring her friends home, but also bring a young girl's parents home. She wouldn't let yet another child go without even one of their loved ones, not on her watch. With her mission fully in mind, Abby steeled herself and cleared her throat, looking straight at a waiting Gibbs.

"They're still outside Merris Mount High School, just a few minutes away from here, about half an-" Abby was stopped by a small gasp from the third person in the room, and she turned to see Mahala looking at the screen, tears building in her eyes.

"They were coming... they came... oh, my god, they were actually coming..." She was whispering, and for the first time, tears were spilling down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking as her fingers ghosted across the blinking signals, right next to each other, mere metres away from the school entrance, in the car park. Abby looked confused, as did Gibbs, and he started to move forward, until he was right next to the crying girl.

"What were they coming to Mahala?" He whispered, and she startled, looking at him, fear in her eyes. Gibbs was surprised by that, but he said nothing, not even when the fear receded and pain took over. She cleared her throat and stared again at the blinking lights.

"My, uh, my show. I'm in a band, and we were playing last night; I asked mom and dad to come, i-if they could... I figured when they didn't show, they'd been too busy at work... again." She said the last part with a bitter edge, and Gibbs noticed again the pain in her eyes. He grabbed the girl's chin gently, turning her head so he could look into her eyes.

"We're going to find them; I promise you, Mahala, we will find your parents."

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**A/N: Okay, so here's Chapter 2 - Hope you enjoyed it, tell me if it's good, and if you want more!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What caused you to come here?" Mahala looked up at the question, seeing her Uncle Tim watching her carefully, across from the steel grey table. Interrogation. Not exactly what she'd had in mind to do today when she woke up this morning. She looked again at her 'uncle' and tried to measure the man against the myths; that was difficult in itself, considering, apparently, her dad was always telling her a bunch of nonsense about everyone. Her mom would always smack him when he did that, but, when she wasn't there, who knows what was true in her dad's tales?

"I... uh, we have this sort of, rule, I guess, and if it's broken, I was told to come straight here and tell Agent Gibbs; the rule was broken, and here I am." Mahala tried to not let tears take over as she remembered the numerous times she'd been told about the 'rule'.

"What is this rule, Mahala?" McGee asked softly, noticing the gleam in the girl's eyes, and her fight against tears.

"Um, yeah, this rule is, basically, if we don't see either of them when we should, check phones, and apartments, then come to NCIS; if they're not there either, contact Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." She repeated it word perfect, as she was always told to; Mahala felt a weird sense of pride at getting the rule right, she could practically see her mom nodding at her with a smile, her dad clapping crazily behind her. It brought a small smile to **a**her face, despite all that was happening. Her 'uncle' nodded, jotting it down into the file in front of him.

"And so they didn't answer their cells, they weren't at their apartments, or here, and so you came to Agent Gibbs, is that correct? Wait, _we_?" McGee stopped, staring at his 'niece' with a look of suspicion, which was strengthened when Mahala gasped, her face going blank with fear. She bolted up out of her chair and out of the room; McGee quickly followed shouting her name, and he could see his boss ahead of him, doing the same. Mahala was taking the staircase down, into several floors, right to the ground floor. Once she had escaped into the car park, Gibbs caught up, grabbing her, wrenching her around her to face him.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" He hissed, taking pity on her once he saw her white, tear-stained face, but refused to let her go; he'd already lost a DiNozzo and a David, he wasn't losing another.

"I'm going to get my brother and sister!" She yelled back, her voice scratchy and thick from tears, still trying to escape the marine's grip. Gibbs froze, and sensed McGee do the same behind him.

"You have siblings?"

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**A/N: And cue dramatic music! Little cliffhanger, I apologise; if you want more, you gotta tell me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Gibbs stayed in the car while Mahala and McGee walked through the gates into the school close to the high school, entering the plain brick building and disappearing from sight. Once Gibbs could no longer see them, he let his head fall back against the seat, eyes closing. His two best agents had a kid? Scratch that, they had three kids. Gibbs knew the what, at least one of the whens, obviously, the how, the whos, more or less; but it was the where, and, above all, the _why _that bothered Gibbs most of all. Similar questions buzzed around his head until he could think no more, and he noticed with relief McGee leaving the building, holding the door open for Mahala and her siblings. The teen left first, smiling in thanks to McGee, before taking his place.

Two children followed her out, huddling close to each other, and, once their sister moved, gluing themselves to her sides. She took their hands as if on instinct, checking on them and giving them a gentle smile to comfort them. Gibbs watched them as they came closer; there was a boy and girl, about the age of four, maybe five, they were twins, Gibbs realised, and the questions started up again with a renewed force. The little boy was identical to DiNozzo, and his light brown hair flopped over his forehead, squashed by a dark blue hat on his head. His twin was rather like Mahala, only she had the curly hair that was Ziva's trademark, partially hidden by a light pink hat like her brother's.

"Agent Gibbs, meet my siblings; this is Benjamin, my brother, and my sister, Sara; Sar, Ben, say hello to Gibbs." The twins eyed him warily, mumbling a hello, before Mahala ushered them into the back of the car, their bags at their feet. As soon as McGee was in the car, Gibbs set off, heading back to the Navy Yard, murmuring orders to McGee, who was already working on the laptop, both of them quiet, as not to frighten the young ones.

"Another team went out to the cell phone signals, boss, only the cell phones were there, as well as Tony's car; Ziva's was at her apartment, and there was signs of a struggle in the car park; I'm guessing the music was too loud for anyone to know anything was wrong." Gibbs nodded stiffly, and McGee opened his mouth to say something else, only to think better of it, and close it again. He looked in the rear view mirror, seeing the youngest girl, Sara cuddling up to her sister, as Mahala whispered in her ear; Benjamin was looking out the window, apparently distracted by the sights, but he was leaning up against his sister, and something told McGee that he was also listening to whatever his sister was saying.

Once back at NCIS, McGee was reluctant to carry out the orders given to him. He looked to the trio walking slowly into the bullpen, the twins' eyes eager and bright as they observed where their parents worked for the first time. Mahala was smiling over them, a hand on each shoulder, making sure she didn't lose any more members of her family. By chance, she looked up, and caught McGee's eye; seeing his expression, her smile dropped, and she drew the twins closer, crouching down to talk to them; then she looked up questioningly at McGee.

"You guys want to see your Aunt Abby?" McGee asked in way of answer, bending down to the twins' level. They began to nod frantically, grinning massively, and Mahala couldn't help but crack a smile herself; as McGee led the way, Mahala quickly caught up so she was beside him, the twins following eagerly behind, whispering amongst themselves.

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**A/N: First off, I'd like to say a big thank you to all those who have reviewed, it means a lot to know what you think about this! And for everyone who has been asking, this does fit (just about, anyway) into the canon timeline, and most questions will be answered in the story but feel free to ask, so I know what to add!**

**So, again, tell me what you think and if you want more!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Does Aunt Abby know they're coming; wait, does she know they even exist yet?" She asked, and only laughed at McGee's lack of an answer, "Oh, she's gonna love them!" McGee shared in Mahala's laughter this time, as they stepped out of the elevator, Mahala making sure the twins didn't get caught. Entering the lab, the twins automatically winced at the music, inching closer to their sister, now uncertain of their surroundings. McGee called Abby several times, having to move away from the trio as not to further scare the twins.

"Jeez, what, McGee? I was busy with-" She stopped as she noticed the two tiny faces peering around Mahala; her face slackened and she looked to Mahala, and seeing the comparisons, flicked her eyes to the pictures of Tony and Ziva tacked to her monitors. Her mouth was opening and closing with no words coming out, and the twins, now accepting the strange appearance of their aunt, were beginning to giggle, their sister also smirking at Abby's face.

"Aunt Abby, meet my brother and sister, Sara and Ben." Abby's face split into a big grin and she rushed over to hug the twins together, until they squeaked indignantly, and then hugged them both again separately.

"I can't believe there are more of you!" She squealed, jumping up and down in front of the trio, the twins backing away slightly, still a little wary of their new surroundings. Mahala just laughed at their reactions, gently pulling their hats off their heads, helping them also take off their heavy winter coats. McGee clamped his hands on the excited scientist's shoulders, stopping her from scaring the children any more than they already are, quietly reminding her that they were in a new place, and that their parents were missing. This quickly sobered her, and she couldn't resist a quick glance toward the pictures on the computer bank, before looking back at Ziva and Tony's youngest children, who were now tentatively smiling at her.

"Hang on a minute, you guys are what, four, five? When, wait, no, I know that, how the heck did Ziva, and Tony, have you guys?" Abby suddenly asked, and then realised her mistake when she saw the twins' confused faces and their sister's panicked one. Ben and Sara looked upwards to look at their sister, their question written clearly across their faces. Mahala just smiled blandly, directing them into the office, sitting them down onto the computer chair and stool, taking books out of their rucksacks to distract them with, before walking back into the lab.

"I think we all know _how _those two happened, and a rough estimate of when, but if you're talking about how they hid their relationship, and how my mom hid her pregnancy, I'm pretty sure it had something to do with her going to Israel, and her choice in baggy clothes. That, and the fact that most twins are born prematurely, making bumps pretty short-lived. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you want to question me some more, don't you, Uncle Tim?" McGee nodded unhappily and gently directed her back into the elevator.

"So, the last known location was the high school car park, and, thankfully, the cameras were working, Agent Gibbs, so we've managed to get some footage. We're getting them to Abby now."The agent was quick, responding to Gibbs's questions and looks without any prompting or glares, and the senior agent was glad for that; anymore time wasted meant less time for Tony and Ziva. Gibbs knew they could handle themselves, but that meant nothing if they were injured, if they were separated, if they were _dead_.

It was then that Gibbs saw Mahala approaching, McGee close behind her. The girl was pale, trying her best to keep a brave face up, but Gibbs could see the little girl missing her mommy and daddy. He couldn't afford those thoughts; he had parents to bring home, and then smack them stupid for this. He smiled at her, and Mahala responded with a shaky one of her own, and collapsed in the chair Gibbs offered.

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**A/N: And that's Chapter 5! Please tell me what you think and if you want more**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Okay, according to what Mahala to has told me, Tony and Ziva rarely go to the high school, or the middle school, their nanny usually picks up the twins, and Mahala walks home. So it's unlikely that they've been taken to get back at the children. Their nanny, Casey, is in the clear, she was at home with the twins the entire time; she takes care of the kids most of the time, Tony and Ziva drop in when they can, one of them spending the week at their apartment, and then swapping and spending weekends at the house; it's possible someone has been watching them all this time, trying to find an opportunity to get at them; we just don't know why, exactly."

"It might have something to do with the fact that they're federal agents, McGee; have you checked cases, felons? Or do I need to send you back to training?" Gibbs knew his tone was harsh, but he was beyond caring; he wanted his agents back. McGee nodded, knowing it wasn't worth saying anything, bringing up the files, his programme having sifted through them all in the past few hours.

"No one's been released, or escaped, and no known associates are on the radar, including Baltimore and Israel, boss. I've been thinking though..." McGee trailed off, unsure of how to phrase his question, and he knew his hesitation was written all over his face; Gibbs merely raised his eyebrows, "Well, I wondered if I should go through _your _files, boss, maybe someone has done this to get back at you; everyone knows how close you are to your team, and what better blow to you than a blow to your team? And two instead of one just makes it better, if you will; should I, boss?" Gibbs nodded, feeling slightly sick at the thought: McGee was right, and Gibbs was proud he had thought of it, but it didn't make it any better; Tony and Ziva were still missing.

McGee ran the search again, and was about to explain this could take awhile; Gibbs had arrested quite a few people, after all, when the computer suddenly dinged. Even Gibbs looked surprised, which made McGee gulp, checking the screen and the bringing up the information on the plasma. As he did so, he noticed Mahala lean forward in the seat, and he felt reluctant to bring up the information, just in case; just as he was about to say something, he saw Gibbs's face.

"Joseph Carl Luton, released from prison last week, he was in for-"

"Murder, of a Petty Officer; why is he out, McGee?" Gibbs asked, his voice turning hard, eyes darkening as he stared at the surly face of Joseph Luton. McGee quickly went to the computer, bringing up the files, and Gibbs looked at Mahala while he waited. She had gone slightly pale, staring at the man who might have stolen her parents; Gibbs noticed that her hands were curled into fists on the chair rests.

"It seems that he was released on good behaviour, and has been checking in with his probation officer weekly, as of last week, it seems. He's now missing, boss, off the radar."

"And you know how I feel about coincidences, McGee; find him, now."

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**A/N: There we go, a culprit at last! Tell me what you think, and if you want more!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"How did this happen?"

"Well, it started with us actually making a promise, actually keeping it, then actually getting jumped on, drugged, and then actually realising that we were actually kidnapped!"

"Tony, I know that, I meant how did we _let_ this happen? How could we let ourselves get kidnapped, let our daughter down!"

"Who is now probably at NCIS, blowing our secret, but more importantly, is telling Gibbs that we're missing; we'll be found soon, Zi, don't worry." Ziva sighed, collapsing next to Tony where he sat against the wall of their 'cell'; a concrete bunker coated in dust and dirt. She leant against him, relaxing slightly as his arm came around her, eyes closing with exhaustion. She wasn't sure how long they'd been in the bunker, having woken up disorientated and groggy, finding punctures in their necks from some sort of anaesthetic.

"She's going to hate us." Ziva whispered, not finding the strength to even raise her voice, and Tony squeezed her gently, placing his lips on the top of her head, his eyes falling shut also.

"No, she won't; Ziva, she's our daughter, so she can't hate us, plus she knows the rules; she'll know there's a reason and in a while, we can explain it to her, face-to-face." Tony replied, his breath ruffling her hair slightly, making her feel even more tired, even more hopeless.

"_If_ we ever get out of this." Ziva couldn't help but mutter, her weariness and the drugs in her system making her blurt out anything she was thinking. Before she fell asleep, she felt Tony heave a great sigh, burying his face in her hair.

"We will get out of this, Ziva, we will; we have to."

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**A/N: So, I finally logged into my e-mail account- WOW! Thank you all so much, who have fovourited or followed this story, and thank you everyone who comments as well, it convinces me to keep going! So tell what you think and if you want more (and thank you again!)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_15 Years Ago_

_"Yo, Tony, are you coming or not?" Tony DiNozzo turned away from the bar to see his friend's, shining with sweat and grins gesturing like monkeys onto the street. He grinned back and left the small bar, grabbing two of his friends around the shoulders as they slowly swayed down the street as the moon illuminated the rowdy party streets of Israel._

_"Remind me again why we picked Israel for our little trip?" Tony laughed, conscious of the looks he and his friends were attracting as they roared and joked, in a language very few understood. All he got was a couple of mumbled and slurred excuses, which everyone had heard before. They stumbled into the reception of their hotel, his friends all going back to their rooms, Tony opting to stay at the bar for a while, until his roommate was suitably passed out._

_"Oh, my gosh, I'm sorry!" A voice blurted as a body collided with his; Tony looked down to see chocolate brown eyes meet his. The woman was about the same age as him, with thick curly brown hair framing her tan face, which had no makeup on, her clothes plain and simple. Yet she looked amazing. Tony smiled, his eyes beginning to sparkle, and he felt his heart race as she smiled shyly back._

_"It's no problem; I'm Tony." The woman smiled, her white teeth flashing in the dim light of the bar, taking his outstretched hand._

_"Ziva, nice to meet you, Tony." He loved her voice; the smooth lilting notes and the way she repeated his name was indescribable. It was ridiculous, Tony couldn't believe that he was thinking all this about a girl he'd only just met; he started to blame it on the alcohol. _

_He couldn't remember how they ended up both at the bar together, talking, and laughing, with a familiar sense of comfortableness that Tony had never felt toward a total stranger before .He watched as Ziva tucked a stray curl behind her ear, a bright smile on her face as she talked to him, her chocolate eyes glittering as she stared into his. He stood up quickly, and he chuckled at her confused expression. He held out his palm to her, taking her small, warm hand into his, pulling her up, close enough to see his breath disrupt her hair. _

_Tony grinned, dragging her up the stairs to his room, enjoying her laughter the entire way._

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**A/N: I have had comments the chapters are too short, so here are two in one go to make up for it! (I also apologise for this chapter) But tell me what you think and if you want more, as always~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Do they have to go, Gibbs? They're just so sweet, and smart, like really smart, I'm not kidding; these two could give me and McGee a run for our money, I'm thinking a smart-off, what do you think? I really think they could be totally genius, how they're Tony and Ziva's kids; I guess maybe Ziva, oh, and possibly Tony, but-"

"Abby," Gibbs cut in, barely repressing a sigh, "They can't stay here." She pouted, but nodded, turning around, going into her office. She pried the twins away from her computer, handing them their backpacks. They looked confused, their eyes glued to Abby as they followed her into the lab, reminding Gibbs of lambs, innocent and happy. They eagerly returned Abby's hug, before the wary look entered their eyes again as they looked up at Gibbs. He crooked a finger towards himself, walking to the elevator, hearing Abby say her goodbyes again.

"Where are we going, Mister Gibbs?" The tiny voice surprised him, and he looked down to see the little girl, Sara, staring up at him, her emerald eyes focusing intently. He smiled at her, reminded of several times that look had been shot his way from her parents. Some of the apprehension melted away in her eyes, as well as her brother's at Gibbs's smile, but he could tell this little girl wouldn't give up until she had an answer; she was her parent's child alright.

"We are going home."

"Home? Our home, or your home, Mister Gibbs?" For a five year old, she already knew the basic points of interrogation, no doubt learning from her elders. He chuckled, imaging DiNozzo teaching his little ones how to get a straight answer, Ziva 'disapproving', but only because she wanted to do it herself.

"That is up to you, and Ben, and your sister; where do you want to go?" Sara didn't ask another question, instead turning to her twin, and they appeared to have a silent conversation, just like Tony and Ziva. It amazed Gibbs just how alike Tony and Ziva were compared to their children, and as much as he hated to admit it, it hurt him to see these little movements, the words and actions, that all screamed his two agents' names.

They hadn't reached a decision by the time they raced the bullpen, instead rushing over to their sister to embrace her, and then talk quickly, much like Abby, and he smiled to see Mahala easily keep up with their rapid speech, before responding, ruffling her brother's hair before standing, a hand on each shoulder.

"Is it alright if we go back to our house, Agent Gibbs?" Mahala asked, her dark eyes staring directly into his, ready to challenge him if she didn't get her way. He nodded, picking up the teenager's bag, giving it to her with her jacket, placing a gentle hand on her back to guide the trio into the elevator.

The house was in the suburbs, and Gibbs was quietly surprised Tony had accepted this; his distrust of suburbia had been mentioned a few times, enough to make Gibbs wonder why he had let his kids live here. Maybe it was just far enough away from work for it to be best for everyone, including himself. The house was modest, three storeys, painted a light cream like the others, and a dark brown door set in the centre of the porch. The front garden was lush, with a winding path that the twins happily ran up, waiting patiently by the door for their sister and the key.

Inside, Gibbs was further surprised. The entrance hall was painted a light green, with feature walls of cream, covered in pictures, going along up the stairs and into the rooms at the end of the hall. The twins raced up the carpeted stairs, their comfortable giggles echoing throughout the house. Mahala smiled at him, obviously more at ease at home, directing him into the kitchen, a white open plan room, with large windows through which the late evening light trickled through.

"Do you want some coffee, Agent Gibbs; don't worry, we have some of your blend around here somewhere, and I've been trained how to make it just right." Mahala said, a small smile on her face as she rooted through the pale wood cupboards, finally finding the small packet of coffee, flicking on the kettle as she passed.

"Well, when you put it that way, alright then." Gibbs chuckled, accepting the mug from Mahala, the teen cradling a cup; raising an eyebrow in question, she laughed.

"Its jasmine tea, Agent Gibbs, don't worry. I don't really like coffee, to be honest," She said to the agent, and he nodded as she sipped from the mug. She watched him as he looked around the kitchen, before standing up and indicating that he should follow him, "You want to see the house, don't you?" Despite wanting to say otherwise, Gibbs got up and followed the girl as she left the kitchen.

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**A/N: And here's chapter 9! Sorry for the delay, had a lot going along, so please tell me what you think and if you want more!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The house was painted simply, the living room light and fresh, multiple sofas and chairs, ranging from leather to fabric covered, all scattered around the massive room, and Gibbs could see the glass doors that led to a conservatory, and the garden beyond it, lit by lamps around the grass. Mahala then led him up the stairs to the second floor, her feet padding along the laminate flooring, avoiding the carpets thrown around, and Gibbs wondered if she had a reason for that, maybe she'd tripped over one too many times? Again, Gibbs thought about how much Tony and Ziva had manifested themselves in their children; speaking of...

"Where're the twins?" He asked quietly, and Mahala smiled over her shoulder, walking him down the landing, to a small hall with two doors opposite each other. One door was painted blue, planes and cars racing across the wood, and someone had carefully painted 'Benjamin' in white onto the blue; opposite the door was painted a very light pink, with fairies and glitter placed across it, and 'Sara' also painted in white. Gibbs ran his hands over the writing on Sara's door, and noticed that the fairies were also painted, and he suspected the cars and planes were the same.

"Mom did that, all of it; she and Dad spent three weekends, full ones, on decorating all our rooms, Dad on the backgrounds, Mom on the details. You should have seen them," Mahala sighed, her fingers also now tracing Ziva's artwork, only on her brother's door, "Working, and laughing, with each other, all of us playing together, redoing our rooms... it was amazing. I don't think we've had time like that since." Tears were gathering in her eyes, and Gibbs looked on pained, and was about to reach forward, but two blurs suddenly skidded to a halt in front of them.

"What you doing in front of our rooms?" Ben asked, already in his pyjamas, his sister the same, and Mahala smiled at him, opening his door, and letting the boy in first, Sara still following. Gibbs stayed in the doorway, watching as Mahala tucked the little boy in, kissing his forehead as she pressed a button on a small box on his nightstand. A man's deep, slow voice started to flow from the CD player, an audio book, and the five-year-old's eyes started to droop. Mahala took Sara's hand to lead her to her room, closing Ben's behind her. She repeated the process to the little girl, before closing the door and smiling at Gibbs.

"You do that often?" He asked as they walked away, Mahala still showing him most of the house. She nodded, and seemed to be thinking of her words as he poked his head into what was a bathroom, white and earthen tiled, a large mirror dominating one wall, make-up and hair products all battling for space on a small shelf underneath.

"We do have a babysitter who comes in to take care of us, well, the twins mostly, but when Mom and Dad work late and can't get anyone in, I'm happy to help out, plus it means I get to spend more time with them; after all the... complications our family's been through, I take all the time I can get." Mahala replied slowly, her words hitching every now and again in her throat, and Gibbs felt bad for the events of the past few years, despite having little or no control over them; despite wanting to give Mahala some space, a question was pressing on his lips that he just wouldn't let go: he viewed it as releasing his inner DiNozzo for once.

"The twins... when were they born?" He asked, and he hoped he was being subtle enough to...

"I don't think you're really wanting to ask _that_,Agent Gibbs," Mahala giggled, and Gibbs wanted to groan at being rumbled so quickly, she definitely inherited her mother's quick mind and father's humour, "Whenever my dad suggests something to do with them, or the guys get too... trying, in her words, all my mom says is that she's always hated stakeouts." Gibbs choked on his coffee. He shook his head as the teenager looked to him, his face turning bright red, and he wasn't sure why. Anger? Shock? A slight bit of embarrassment?

"When, and where were you born, Mahala?" He finally asked, and the girl smiled as she led him across the hall.

"You want my story? Oh, this is Mom and Dad's room; judging by how they talk about you, they would be powerless to stop you entering if you wanted to, so go ahead. I... I wanna see it anyway, if you don't mind, I need their presence..." She murmured and pushed against the light green door, with vines over it, the words 'Ima and Padre' painted on. Inside was a large double bed, the walls painted a light blue and cream, and there were photos everywhere. As Gibbs moved closer to see what they were of, Mahala started to speak again, "Dad met Mom on a holiday; they were together in a bar, and things just... clicked, as Dad calls it, from there. When he left, they were both upset, and lost contact,"

Gibbs listened intently, and was surprised to see the corresponding picture in front of him; a much younger Tony was smiling into the camera, sunglasses on his tan face, taking the picture, his arm outstretched in the slight corner, while Ziva was beside him, heads rested together, her eyes glittering as she grinned into the camera. Behind them was some sort of beach, and Gibbs could easily imagine the two of them soaking up the sun, no cares, no work, "Once Mom found out she was pregnant, she tried so hard to find Dad, to tell him, but had to give up, but only when I was about eight. When she transferred here, she brought me with her, of course, but didn't introduce me to Dad for months; she was scared, I remember her telling me once, scared of Dad rejecting her, _me_, that she put it off for so long,"

Another picture was of Tony, this time with Mahala, and they looked to be dancing, the girl about ten, Christmas lights were strung up behind them, a Menorah glittering on a window sill. Mahala was laughing, her curly hair in a ponytail, wearing a deep green dress, her dad in a suit; Gibbs wondered where they'd been to be dressed up so nicely. Next to this was a picture of Ziva, also dressed up, and her daughter, helping Mahala put her stocking on the fireplace, Ziva smiling softly at the girl's ecstatic expression. Another photo was of the same night, though slightly blurry and off-centre, Ziva and Tony with their arms around each other, grinning at their daughter, obviously taking the photo. They looked so proud, so happy; it almost hurt him to see them so carefree. _I never knew. _

"But, one day, she brought him to our house, something about dinner, and we were introduced. To say he was shocked would be an understatement, but he was great about it; just stepped up to the... plate, is that it? Yeah, plate, and was the best dad ever, like I hadn't ever grown up for the first years of my life without one... it hurt so bad when we got separated." She whispered, her fingers brushing over the frames. Gibbs guided her out of the room, still looking at the many photos, letting the girl drift away into the bathroom. He didn't miss the tears on her face.

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**A/N: Sorry for the delay, it's exam season, so I've been swamped! So here it is and hopefully a few more questions have been answered! So, tell me what you think and if you want more!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Boss?"

"Go, McGee."

"I tracked Joseph Luton to an apartment downtown, he's been using a friend's flat and credit card; they reported it missing, along with a cell phone, yesterday."

"Pick me up, McGee, I want to get him."

"Uh, but, boss, what about the kids; you can't leave them alone, it's technically-"

"We'll leave them with Abby, now move McGee, I don't want to waste any more time he could be using to escape."

"On it, boss." Gibbs snapped his phone shut with barely contained fury and anticipation; although he would never show it, he was more than ready and willing to make Luton pay for this. He would never say (at least, not out loud) that he loved, or seriously cared for his agents, but he was going to get them back; he couldn't imagine living without them, at least not now, not after all they'd been through. Plus, they had a family to get back, and a whole round of headslaps to give.

"Agent Gibbs?" He turned to see Mahala in the doorway, obviously having heard the conversation, already dressed, a bowl of cereal cradled in her hands, "Did you find him?"

"Yeah; get ready." He knew he was being rude, but she knew as much as him how much time mattered; she didn't even react to his shortness, just nodding and running back up the stairs to wake her brother and sister. In a few minutes, McGee was pulling up, taking a few seconds to gawk at the house, before entering the kitchen, where Gibbs was preparing breakfast for the twins and a simple lunch. The twins sprinted down the stairs the second after Gibbs placed the bowls on the table, slotting into their places (known by named and coloured placemats) and starting to eat, blissfully unaware of the tension in the room.

Minutes later, they were at NCIS, Abby again bouncing around the lab, McGee calming her, before he left, the three children left behind to hear the elevator ding, and the pounding music fill the heavy silence.

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**A/N: I am so, so, so sorry! Exams got me busy and then this story decided to be difficult and the chapter I planned to post ended up being scrapped because, well, it just didn't work. So, I am very sorry (and I will post another chapter after this to attempt to make up for it) and tell me what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"It's been hours, Tony; we need to start thinking about our options."

"Zi, we did that hours ago; no escape, no communication, and no idea who kidnapped us; our options are drive ourselves crazy with useless attempts of escape, or wait patiently, conserving our energy, until the chance is presented for us to escape," He watched in the dim light as his partner paced like a caged animal in the grimy light, her face contorted with frustration and exhaustion, "Will you please just stop pacing; you're making me antsy."

"Antsy?" She whirled on him, brown eyes flashing, "Why do you feel like an insect, when you should be feeling anxiety; they might have Mahala, Ben and Sara as well as us; they could have the whole team, and we wouldn't know! We could be stuck here for days, months, until we d-"

"Stop," His quiet word cut through her loud, panicked ranting, and she stood there for a moment, frozen by the weight of the emotion in his tone, "It doesn't help us anymore to start thinking about all the things that could be going wrong out there. Sit down here, and just stop, okay? Please." She huffed and started to object, but a heavy look from him shut her up and she slowly sat down beside him.

"Why have we heard nothing?" She finally asked, looking at her hands as they twisted the fabric of her coat, "Why has no one come, not even to gloat or demand ransom?"

"Ziva," Tony bit out, "Stop; don't keep asking questions that neither of us can answer. If you can't do that, stay silent." Ziva turned to him, fury in her eyes at his tone and attitude; no one ordered her about like that with such carelessness and coldness, not anymore; but then, she saw his face, and Ziva deflated, all her anger gone when she saw the anguish in her partner's eyes.

"I know you said no more questions, but this is one which I hope you at least can answer. Where did we go wrong, Tony?" She whispered, as her hand found his and her cold fingers laced through his warm ones, "What did we do so wrong to end up like this?" He only sighed in response, tightening his grip on her hand, leaning his head back against the wall, unable to look into her eyes.

"I have no idea, Zi, I just don't know." He replied, and he heard her take a shaky breath, the reality of their situation, emotional and physical, crashing down on her; he just ran his thumb over her knuckles lightly, just as he had whenever she was at a loss, hurt or confused, and let her just gain control of herself, knowing better than anyone that Ziva did everything by her own way. The thought of that made him chuckle slightly, and open his eyes.

"What?" Ziva murmured, eyebrows furrowing, already assuming she'd done something.

"Nothing; I was just remembering the day you introduced me to my daughter," He replied with a soft, rueful smile, "You always do things your way." She laughed slightly in response, nodding, and her fingers tightened her grip on his slightly.

"That I do; that, I do."

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**A/N: And this is another peace offering for just leaving this alone for so long! Just a warning, I am busy over the next few weeks, but I will try my best to update if I can; still, I hope you like this chapter, cliffie and all XD Still, tell me what you think and if you want more!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_"I still don't get what would've been so hard about inviting me to dinner with the others! I'm a perfect dinner guest, and I would've pitched in with any work you needed doing; I think that-"_

_"Tony, please," Ziva sighed, slightly exasperated, glad that it hid her nervousness, "Just enjoy the fact that you can be the perfect dinner guest now. You could also start acting like one while you're at it."_

_"Yeah, while I'm covered in dirt and sweat and smoke, and all other container germs," He grumbled, following her into the apartment, admiring the simple yet comfortable set up she had created. He heard her sigh slightly, and could very well imagine her rolling her eyes; she'd always reply with that combo whenever he was being 'trying'._

_"Look, Tony, before we go any further, I have to tell you something," She suddenly said, turning to him, her eyes on the floor as her demeanour changed; it sort of frightened him (not that he would admit that), to see the confident Mossad agent nervous and fidgeting, "I want you to know that it wasn't fully by choice that it had to be like this, but-"_

_"Ima!"Tony whipped around to see a small child run into the room, immediately tackling Ziva around the legs. Ziva laughed, the stress and pain instantly vanishing from her face as she bent down to hug the tiny child, smoothing back her brown hair before swinging her up into her arms. She turned to him again, and her apprehension appeared again._

_"Ziva?" He murmured, looking into the little girl's dark brown eyes; saw her straight hair that seemed quite light, and her face..._

_"Tony, I... this is Mahala," She paused as the girl looked up at her, slightly confused and Tony wondered if she didn't understand English; Ziva turned to him suddenly, her face more closed off then before and her voice, when she spoke again, was clipped and professional, "DiNozzo, she's your daughter."_

_Tony woke up on an unfamiliar couch; it took him a few moments to realise it was Ziva's place, and close to three minutes to realise why he was waking up there._

_"Oh cr..."_

_"Ima says you c-can't say bad words," A small voice stuttered by his side and he rolled over to see the little girl from before, his little girl staring up at him with eyes that so mirrored Ziva's and he felt his breath leave lungs again, "Are you going to fall ag-again?"_

_"Who says that was going to be a bad word?" Tony instead quipped back and the girl furrowed her brow, obviously caught out._

_"So-sounded like one," She said slowly, sounding out every little letter, and Tony again was hit by the realisation English wasn't her first language. Then guilt hit him; of course it wasn't, she was born in Israel, without a father, to a mother who'd only had her due to a careless holiday fling-_

_"Oh, Tony, you're awake," He turned awkwardly on the couch to see Ziva carrying a tray into the room and placing it onto the coffee table, "Mahala, how about you bring down your colouring?" The little girl cocked her head to the side and Ziva repeated it in Hebrew and she nodded, skipping away with a small smile._

_"Are you messing with me?" He hadn't meant for the words to sound quite so harsh, but he wanted a straight answer from his partner; from the way she flushed and met his eyes with her own pained ones, it had come out wrong._

_"Why would I 'mess' with you, Tony?" She replied, stung, the emphasis on 'mess' telling him she hadn't understood, "What would I have to gain by lying to you, what would Mahala have to gain by finding a false father? She is yours, Tony, or did you forget about that summer we spent together?" It was an open dare, the clear moment which could make or break the fragile partnership they'd formed in the previous months and Ziva's eyes glittered in the half-light while she waited._

_"No," He finally breathed, "I haven't forgotten about the summer, but I haven't forgotten that we used protection, Ziva-"_

_"What is that phrase," She interrupted, still on guard, "One slipped through the web?"_

_"Net," He corrected automatically, then realised the implication, "Oh. So that little girl really is mine?"_

_"She looks like you, does she not?" She smiled, and Mahala then skipped back into the room, clutching a book and crayons to her chest, smiling widely at the pair by the sofa._

_"So, I'm a father," Tony murmured as he watched the girl settle herself at the table beside what must be his dinner; he moved to sit up and crouch beside his daughter, "Hey Mahala, what've you got there?"_

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**A/N: And we're getting somewhere! Sorry if it's a bit of a bare bones affair, but I'll do more introspective stuff later XD So, same old, same old, tell me what you think and if you want more please!**


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